Edwin pinkham



UNTTED STATES PATENT UEETCE.

EDVIN PINKHAM, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,465, dated October30, 1883. Application filed March 5, 1883. (No model.)

of which scam the clew is secured; The bias sections of canvas formingthe head and foot portions of jib-sails were so cut that the breadths orstrips forming them extended in a parallel direction with the leech andfoot ropes. These jibsails, therefore, consisted of two bias sections ofcanvas united at their.

widest ends, composed of strips or widths of canvas running in alengthwise direction with the sail, all terminating atthe head or stayrope. A split or rent commencing in a jibsail constructed as abovedescribed, whether it be in the head or foot portion, would continueuntil it reached the central seam atone side and the head or stay ropeat the other end, whereby the usefulness of the sail would be destroyed.Parting of the sail at its central portion, or along the seam extendingtransversely across the sail to the clew,often occurs, in which case thesail is rendered useless. Injury to the jibsails of a sailing-vesselusually occurs at a very critical moment when under full headway, andprobably in a gale,when repairs of this nature, necessitating the takingin of the sail,cannot be judiciously attempted. Frequently by an injuryto the jib-sails their effectiveness to keep the headway of the vesselis seriously impaired, and also the vessels head will not properlyrespond to the helm, endangering serious results.

The object of my invention is to so form the sails that theabove-mentioned defects will be overcome, this being accomplished, aswill hereinafter more fully appear, by making the sail in a singlesection or piece on a bias, so

that the ribs or lengths of canvas composing the sail will be short andextend diagonally across the sail along its entire length from head orstay rope to leech, andfrom the head bias-cut piece or gussetis securedtransversely intervention of the bias-cut piece or gusset,

cross the central portion or belly of the sail the most importantpoint-and render ineffective the clew-lines and bolt-rope, but can ex=tend only diagonally across the sail along the length of the canvasstrip from the head or stay rope to the leech or foot rope, as the casemay be. The entire utility of the jib is not, therefore, destroyed, andthe injury .can be quickly repaired when a convenient opportunity shouldoccur.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1represents the j ib-sails of a vessel. Fig. 2 represents a view of thetwo-part'jibsail' as now made; Fig. 3, a View of the bias-cut or singlejib-sail made according to my invention ,and Fig. 4 a View of thegusset.

A is the head portion of the sail; B, the foot; 0, the clew, secured inthe usual manner to the edge of the sail atits widest part. Around themargin of the sail is the usual bolt-rope, D. Along the top edge, a, thebolt-rope is termed the head or stay rope. Along the side I) it is theleech, and alongthebottom 0 it is the foot rope.

E is the gusset or strengthening-piece, cut bias, and tapering from thecenter 6 toward both ends, as shown in Fig. 4, and of alength equal,when folded at its central portion. to extend transversely across thesail from side to side thereof at its widest part, immediately adjacentto the clew. By 'this provision the central portion of' the sail isre-enforced and strengthened, and a strong bearing for the clew issecured.

As will be seen, the seams (Z of the canvas breadths d in the old formof jib-sail, Fig. 2, extend in parallel lines with the leech and footropes, ending at the central portion or bellyseam of the sail on a linerunning transversely across the sail from the clew, whilethe seams of myimproved sail (represented in Figs. 1 and 3) extend diagonally acrossthe sail from the head or stay rope a to the leech b and foot-rope 0,while those seams crossing the belly of the sail strike on there-enforcing gusset.

Although I have shown and described my invention as only applied tojib-sails, yet it may be applied to the gaff or main and foreand-aftsails and gaif-topsails.

I claim 1. A jib-sail in which the breadths or ribnnited strips crossthe belly part from the clew to the head or stay rope diagonally andparallel from the head-point to the foot-point of the sail, andre-enforced on both sides across the widest part from theclew-connection, as shown and described.

2. A, sail formed of breadths or strips of 15 canvas which extenddiagonally across the samefrom head or stay ropes to the leech and footropes, and havingabias re-enforcingpiece or gusset transversely acrossits widest portion, as hereinbefore described, for the pur- 2oVitnesses:

WM. H. MAssoN; MosEs NORRIS: I

